The present invention relates to a golf bag security device.
As the popularity of golf as both a competitive and recreational sport continues to grow, unfortunately so does the opportunity for theft of golf clubs, golf bags and other equipment. Typically, a golf course provide stands outside of the clubhouse and pro shop where golfers often leave their bags unattended. These unattended golf bags provide an easy target for thieves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,753 discloses a device for securing golf clubs within a golf bag. The device comprises a set of plates each having a number of slots formed therethrough. In a releasing position, the plates are positioned such that the slots are aligned with one another to provide openings that allow the clubs to be removed freely from the bag. In a locking position, the lower plate is moved relative to the upper plate so that the associated pairs of slots are shifted to these narrow openings. In this locking position, when one tries to remove the golf club from the bag, the shoulder surfaces defined on the club grip will engage the lower wall and prevent further outward movement of the club. However, the device of the ""753 patent has no way of securing the golf bag to a stationary object. Thus, a thief could steal the golf bag and golf clubs by carrying it away. In fact, most thieves would prefer stealing the entire bag because removing individual clubs from a bag is conspicuous.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be installed in a golf bag which device functions effectively to prevent removal of individual clubs and further prevents carrying away of the entire golf bag with the clubs therein. In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a golf bag security device for installation on a golf bag having an open interior space configured to receive a plurality of golf clubs, each of the golf clubs having an elongated shaft with a head on one end and a manually engagable grip on the other end, the grip defining a shoulder surface facing generally toward the head. The golf bag security device is comprised of a club retaining assembly that fixedly mounts to the bag when the device is installed. The club retaining assembly has a plurality of club receiving openings formed therethrough and each of the openings is positioned and configured to receive an associated one of the golf clubs. When the clubs are in the openings, the head of each club is disposed exteriorly of the club retaining assembly and the grip of each club is disposed interiorly of the club retaining assembly when the device is installed in the bag.
The club retaining assembly provides shoulder engaging surfaces that face interiorly into the bag when the golf bag security device is installed. The golf bag security device includes an actuating mechanism operatively associated with the club retaining assembly and has a manually operable portion. When the golf bag security device is installed in the golf bag and a plurality of golf clubs are received in the openings, manual operation of the manually operable portion of the activating mechanism moves the club retaining assembly between (1) a club retaining position wherein each of the shoulder engaging surfaces is positioned to engage the shoulder surface on the grip of the associated golf club during outward movement of the associated golf club so as to prevent the removal of the golf club from the golf bag and (2) a club releasing position wherein each of the shoulder engaging surfaces is positioned to allow the clubs to be removed from the golf bag.
The golf bag security device also includes a golf bag securing assembly that moves between (1) a bag securing position wherein the bag securing assembly secures the golf bag to a fixed object when the device is installed, thereby preventing the golf bag with the clubs therein from being carried away and (2) a bag releasing position wherein the golf bag with the golf clubs therein can be carried away from the fixed object. The golf bag security device also includes a single releasable lock that moves between a releasably locked position locking both the club retaining assembly in the club retaining position thereof and the bag securing assembly in the bag securing position thereof and a released position allowing both the club retaining portion to be moved to the club releasing position thereof and the bag securing assembly to be moved to the bag releasing position thereof.
The club retaining assembly preferably comprises a club retaining portion defined by a multiplicity of cammable fingers depending from a base portion with a number of the cammable fingers being arranged around each of the club receiving openings. The cammable fingers provide the shoulder engaging surfaces. The actuating mechanism includes a movable camming member having camming surfaces operatively associated with each of the cammable fingers. Alternatively, the cammable fingers could be provided on the movable member and the camming surfaces could be provided on the base portion. The actuating mechanism is constructed and arranged such that manual operation of the manually operable portion moves the movable camming member such that the camming surfaces thereof cam the cammable fingers inwardly with respect to the club receiving openings so that each of the shoulder engaging surfaces is positioned to engage the shoulder surface on the grip of an associated club during outward movement of the associated club so as to prevent club removal, thereby realizing the club retaining position of the club retaining portion.
This xe2x80x9cfingeredxe2x80x9d arrangement provides enhanced security against club removal in comparison to the ""753 patent. Specifically, the device of the ""753 patent only engages the clubs at two points on opposing sides thereof. The edges which secure the clubs, in effect, only contact the club shaft at two tangential points. A thief could remove a club from the bag by working it back and forth along the slot while pulling the club upwardly. The fingers utilized in the arrangement of the present invention allow more than two points of contact and, when more than two fingers are used, limit movement of the club so that it cannot be moved back and forth and worked out of the bag. Preferably, the shoulder engaging surfaces of the finger have arcuate configurations to ensure that full contact is made between the surface and the club.
The manually operable portion is rotatably mounted to the base portion such that rotational movement of the manually operable portion moves the movable camming member toward and away from the base portion. The bag securing assembly preferably comprises a flexible cable configured to be wrapped around the fixed object. The cable has a lockable member on the free end thereof. The base portion has a concave exteriorly facing surface and the manually operable portion of the actuating mechanism comprises an arm member with a concave interiorly facing surface. The concave interiorly facing surface of the arm member and the concave exteriorly facing surface of the base portion are constructed and arranged such that the lockable member can be wrapped around the stationary object and positioned on the exteriorly facing surface. The manually engageable portion can then be rotated to cam cammable fingers inwardly with respect to the club receiving openings and to position the concave interiorly facing surface such that the interiorly facing surface and the exteriorly facing surface cooperate to prevent removal of the lockable member, thereby realizing the bag securing position of the bag securing assembly and the releasable lock can thereafter be moved into the locked position locking both the club retaining portion in the club retaining position thereof and the bag securing assembly in the bag securing position thereof.
It can be appreciated that a golf bag security device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides enhanced security by preventing theft of both the bag and the individual clubs. A golfer using the device of the present invention can leave his clubs and bag unattended without fear of theft. When he leaves the bag unattended, he simply secures the bag securing assembly to the stationary object such as a stand or fence post and then operates the actuating mechanism so as to move the retaining members into their club retaining positions and thereafter moves the lock into its releasably locked position so as to lock both the retaining members in the club retaining position and the bag securing assembly in the bag securing position.
Further, the device is unobtrusive when mounted in the bag and can be constructed from lightweight material so as not to significantly increase by weight. The device can be installed in golf bags without the need for additional components to be fastened or built into the body of the bag.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.